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» Nova Peris the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to Federal Parliament

Nova Peris the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to Federal Parliament

Date posted: 9 September 2013

The Australian IndigenousHealthInfoNet would like to pass our warm congratulations onto Nova Peris, the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to Federal Parliament.

The Olympic hockey gold medal winner will take a place in the Senate representing the Northern Territory for Labor. In her victory speech on Saturday, Darwin-born-and-raised Peris said that federal politics had the same cruelness of elite sport and admitted she had thought 'long and hard' about whether to enter the arena. 'Sometimes in life you've got to back yourself and I've got a bit of a history of backing myself with my sporting career,' Peris said.

She said she was thrilled to have the confidence of so many people that voted for her.

Ms Peris cast her vote in the election at her old high school, Dripstone High, where the gymnasium is named after her. She has been campaigning in remote parts of the Northern Territory where she says Indigenous voters have called for more jobs and healthcare.

Peris, who identifies with the Kiga People of the East Kimberley, Yawuru People of the West Kimberley (Broome) and Muran People of West Arnhem land in the Northern Territory, is set to be sworn in as a senator at the next sittings in Canberra.

The HealthInfoNet would also like to pass our congratulations on to Ken Wyatt, a former advisory board member, for retaining his seat of Hasluck.